I’ve been trying to work on clearing out the clutter from our pantry and recently found a lonely can of red bean paste hidden away in the very back corner. How did I forget about such a treasure? It jumped into our cart at HMart a few months ago, and I was originally planning on making an Asian inspired dessert of some sort with it but instead decided to use it in French toast one weekend morning!

I just mixed the red bean paste with a bit of mascarpone cheese for the filling, which I sandwiched between nice thick slices of challah bread. Mmm, this French toast is perfect to enjoy with a nice generous amount of maple syrup since red bean paste isn’t very sweet.

Red Bean Paste Stuffed French Toast
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red bean paste (from a 17 ounce can)
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
4 thick slices challah bread (I used 6 ounces total, each slice was 3/4”-1” thick)
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:
Place red bean paste and mascarpone cheese in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Evenly spread mixture on two slices of challah bread and place the other two slices of bread on top to make two sandwiches.

Whisk milk and eggs together in a shallow dish and dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture on each side. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Place one soaked sandwich in the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining sandwich and butter. Makes 2 large servings.

Nutrition: 749 calories, 29.3g fat, 6.1g fiber, 23.6g protein per serving
Cost: $2.15 per serving

We currently have a bunch of cookies in our snack drawer at work, and lately I’ve been reaching first for the gingersnaps dipped in chocolate. They are just so good! Then the other day I had a light bulb moment – you know what would be even better? Gingersnaps topped with Nutella! I couldn’t get this idea out of head, but since I’ve been on a bit a cookie overload, I decided to bake some Nutella gingerbread scones instead this weekend.

Baking with Nutella is always somewhat tricky because even if you put a hefty dose of the stuff in your batter, you often can’t really taste it in the finished product. On top of this dilemma, I also wanted to balance the Nutella and strong molasses gingerbread flavors. But don’t worry, I was up for the challenge, and instead of mixing Nutella into my scones, I stirred in both cocoa powder and toasted hazelnut flour, which I bought last summer from King Arthur Flour. I also added molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and then after the scones cooled, spread a bit of Nutella on top of each one. Is there anything Nutella can’t make better?

Nutella Gingerbread Scones
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup toasted hazelnut flour (I bought mine from King Arthur Flour - but you could also pulse toasted hazelnuts in the food processor until ground to make your own)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella

Directions:
Heat oven to 375˚F. Place all-purpose flour, hazelnut flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Place flour mixture in a food processor and add in cold butter chunks. Pulse several times with a food processor until a coarse meal forms; place in a large bowl. Mix cream, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract in another small bowl. Stir wet into dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.

Place dough onto a greased pizza pan, knead several times if needed, and form into an 8-inch circle. Cut the circle into eight wedges and separate the scones on the cookie sheet with a spatula so they are each at least 1 inch apart. Bake at 375˚F for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each scone comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour, and then evenly spread 1 tablespoon of Nutella on top of each scone. Makes 8 scones.

Nutrition: 395 calories, 23.2g fat, 2.6g fiber, 6.3g protein per scone
Cost: $0.66 per scone

I have a thing for biscuits. The love affair started when I was growing up and always used to gobble them up at KFC and McDonald’s (actually, McDonald’s breakfast biscuit sandwiches are still one of my guilty pleasures when we’re travelling!). I also have fond memories of buying those buttery biscuits that you can pop out of a can and bake at home when I first started dating Apolinaras. Of course, now I know my way around the kitchen and also enjoy making them at home, but I also always order biscuits if they’re on a menu. When we were at Screen Door in Portland, for example, you bet I subbed a warm fluffy biscuit for the boring old toast that came with my meal!

The main Screen Door attraction was their fried chicken and sweet potato waffles. I’d actually never had chicken and waffles before, and now I feel like I may be disappointed if I ever order them anywhere else because they were that good! They also had biscuit sandwiches with fried chicken on the menu, and both these dishes inspired today’s brunch recipe of crispy pecan chicken and sweet potato biscuit sandwiches with maple butter!

I whipped up sweet potato biscuits with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and then sandwiched pieces of crispy pecan and panko coated baked chicken spiced with paprika and cayenne pepper. Of course, I also couldn’t resist spreading a nice dollap of maple butter on top. Yum!

Crispy Pecan Chicken and Sweet Potato Biscuit Sandwiches
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (I usually stick the cut butter in the freezer briefly while I’m prepping the dry ingredients)
1 cup mashed roasted sweet potatoes (I roasted two and had a bit leftover)
1/3 cup buttermilk

Crispy Pecan Chicken:
3/4 cup pecans, pulsed in the food processor until finely ground
3/4 cup panko
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into half lengthwise and again in half the other way so you have 12 pieces of chicken total that fit each biscuit
2 large eggs, beaten

Maple Butter:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Directions:
To make the sweet potato biscuits, heat oven to 450˚F. Place flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a food processor and pulse once to mix. Add cold butter pieces and pulse several times or until coarse crumbs form. Mix mashed sweet potatoes and buttermilk together in a large bowl; stir in flour mixture. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together, being careful not to overwork the dough or warm the butter up too much. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll 1/2-inch thick with a lightly floured rolling pin. Use a 3-inch round cup or cookie/biscuit cutter to cut out 12 biscuits, re-rolling dough scraps as needed. Place biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 450˚F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the chicken, heat oven to 350˚F. Mix ground pecans, panko, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a shallow pan. Put the flour in a shallow dish and lightly dredge both sides of the chicken pieces in it. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow dish and dredge both sides of the flour coated chicken in the egg mixture; place chicken pieces in the pecan mixture and coat well on all sides. Place coated chicken on a large greased cookie sheet and bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

To make the maple butter, mix butter and maple syrup together until smooth.

To serve, cut the biscuits in half and butter the top cut sides. Add the chicken on top of the bottom biscuit half and place the buttered top half of the biscuit on top. Makes 12 sandwiches.

Nutrition: 377 calories, 20.1g fat, 2.0g fiber, 19.0g protein per sandwich
Cost: $0.83 per sandwich

And, Portland is such an incredible town for foodies. I’ve been looking forward to sharing all the restaurants we checked out ever since we got back. We flew in on a Thursday and immediately headed out to get our nails done and begin the wedding festivities with Britt’s bachelorette party. Gilt Club helped us design a lovely family style meal, and then we danced the night away.

The next morning Apolinaras, and I ventured out to Voodoo Doughnut. I’ve heard about this place for years, and being a huge donut fan, couldn’t wait to get my hands on some! My favorites were the Bacon Maple Bar and Old Dirty Bastard, a yeast donut with chocolate frosting, Oreo’s, and peanut butter, which I’m so glad Britt recommended. The donuts definitely lived up to the hype. So much so, that we returned on Sunday to pick some up to bring home with us!

The rehearsal dinner on Friday was at Beast, where we were treated to an amazing six course meal by Chef Naomi Pomeroy, who you may recognize from Top Chef Masters. I was tickled to catch a glimpse of her before we settled in for our meal, and while I don’t usually get my camera out at nice restaurants, I couldn’t help myself this time.

Our favorite courses of the night were the charcuterie plate, which featured many delectable bites, including a foie-gras bon-bon, steak tartare and quail egg toast, and pork pate with prunes and pistachios, and the main course of rib-eye steak with horseradish salsa verde, fallen cauliflower soufflé, roasted radicchio, and duck demi-glace – soooo good!

The next day was the wedding! We spent the morning getting ready and sipping on apple juice mixed with champagne. I loved my hair and just had to share a pic. It’s so fun having long enough locks for different styles.

The wedding was at the funky Jupiter Hotel, where we also stayed. Here’s the beautiful bridal party (plus Sahil, Britt’s bridesman!).

This is a classic shot that Annika and I always take. Everyone always comments on our height difference so we like to play it up. Looking at these pictures make me already miss everyone.

And finally, one with Apolinaras!

Other foodie highlights included brunch at Miss Delta, late night slices at Sizzle Pie, a mouth watering roast beef sandwich from Laurelhurst Market, and brunch at Screen Door. Definitely check out Screen Door if you’re ever in town. They feature Southern specialties, and I’ve already created two dishes inspired by our meal there! The first is based on what I ordered, the fall breakfast hash. It’s nice to enjoy some roasted veggies in the morning.

My hash included lightly curry spiced sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, and kale. I started by roasting the potatoes and then added in the other veggies in at different times so they would all turn out perfectly. I baked a couple eggs on top for Apolinaras, who enjoys runny yolks, and scrambled up some cheesy eggs for myself on the side. My second recipe inspired by Screen Door will be up next!

Fall Breakfast Hash with Cheesy Scrambled Eggs
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Fall Breakfast Hash:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes (5 cups or 25 ounces)
1 small butternut squash, peeled, and cut into bite-sized cubes (5 cups or 25 ounces)
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces (5 cups or 17 ounces)
3 packed cups deveined and coarsely chopped kale leaves (2 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs:
12 large eggs
6 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
To make the fall breakfast hash, heat oven to 400˚F. Place olive oil and curry powder in a small bowl and stir well. Place potato cubes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Stir well so all potatoes are coated evenly with the oil and spread on the baking sheet. Bake at 400˚F for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, add squash cubes, sprinkle with 1 additional tablespoon olive oil and stir well. Bake an additional 15 minutes at 400˚F. Remove pan from oven, add cauliflower, sprinkle with 1 additional tablespoon olive oil and stir well. Bake an additional 15 minutes at 400˚F. Remove pan from oven, add kale, sprinkle with 1 remaining tablespoon olive oil and salt, and stir well. Bake an additional 5 minutes at 400˚F.

To make the cheesy scrambled eggs, whisk eggs, milk, and salt together in a small bowl; stir in cheese. Pour mixture into a large greased nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook until eggs are set, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Serve eggs on top of or next to fall breakfast hash. Makes 4 large servings.

Nutrition: 572 calories, 28.7g fat, 16.0g fat, 26.7g protein per serving
Cost: $2.63 per serving

I have a bit of a canned pumpkin puree hoarding problem. I think it’s partly because of the shortage several years ago and the rumors of another this year. I remember looking everywhere for the stuff that fall, and I actually only finally got my hands on some because someone tweeted about where to find it! Thank goodness for twitter. I also like keeping a large stash on hand because there are just so many mouth watering pumpkin recipe around the blogosphere. I want to be ready to whip up a pumpkin treat whenever the urge strikes!

I was craving some pumpkin muffins last weekend and luckily had everything on hand to make these pumpkin oat bran muffins. They are a nice balance of naughty (crumble topping) and nice (oat bran and white whole wheat flour), and I used my standard pumpkin puree concentrating flavor trick of heating the pumpkin puree a bit to get rid of some of the water.  I can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow so I can enjoy another one! Any must try pumpkin recipe recommendations?

Pumpkin Oat Bran Muffins with Crumble Topping
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Oat Bran Muffins:
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup oat bran
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 milk (I used 2%)
1/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 large egg

Crumble Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Directions:
Place pumpkin puree in a small nonstick pan and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally. Cool completely to room temperature.

Heat oven to 350˚F. Place oat bran, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a large bowl and mix until combined. Place cooled pumpkin puree, milk, Greek yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and egg in another bowl and whisk well. Pour liquids into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Evenly distribute batter into 12 cups of a muffin tin lined with paper cups (each will be 3/4 full).

To make the crumble topping, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, ground walnuts, and oats in a small bowl. Evenly top muffins with the crumble topping. Bake for 23 to 27 minutes at 350˚F or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

Nutrition: 277 calories, 13.4g fat, 2.7g fiber, 4.7g protein per muffin
Cost: $0.63 per muffin

I’ve often wondered why I’ve never seen a layered coffee cake. It just seems like stacking coffee cakes on top of each other would make the presentation so much more festive! I recently couldn’t help but try out this idea when I was baking a birthday treat for us to enjoy during one of our weekly morning lab meetings.

I felt it was important to cram as many apples as possible into the cake since it’s apple season. I also thought it would ideal to have the apples at the top of each cake layer, so I baked the cakes in two different pans. For the bottom layer, I made an upside down apple cake, similar to this one (but I was somehow out of butter so I used some oil in this version, along with less cardamom and a cup of buttermilk that I needed to use up instead of sour cream – feel free to use either cake variation!), so there was a layer of apples at the bottom of a 9-inch round pan and batter on top. Then when I flipped the pan over, the apples were nicely baked into the top of the cake. I spread a bit of cream cheese frosting on this apple layer. Next, I whipped up the top layer of the cake in a 9-inch springform pan, so first I put in the batter, then a layer of apples, and finally the perfect amount of streusel. I even got the top cake layer out of the pan nicely without having to use my dental floss trick! I don’t usually gravitate towards sweets for breakfast, but who can resist apples, streusel, and cream cheese frosting?

Apple Coffee Layer Cake
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Apple Layer for Bottom Cake:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Cake Layers:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Apple and Streusel Layer for Top Cake:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the apple layer for the bottom cake, mix butter and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly in greased 9-inch round cake pan. Fan apple slices in two concentric circles on top of the sugar mixture.

To make the cake layers, heat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan for the top cake layer. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in the canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and eggs until well combined. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients until smooth.

To make the top layer cake streusel layer, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, almond meal, and flour in a small bowl.

To prepare the cakes, pour half the batter into the bottom layer cake pan with the apples. Pour the other half into the prepared 9-inch springform top layer pan. Fan apple slices in two concentric circles on top of batter and top evenly with streusel layer. Bake cakes at 350˚F for 35-40 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes or until the cake comes away from the edges of the pan, then run a knife around the outside of the pan, and immediately invert the bottom layer cake on a serving platter. Remove the sides of the springform pan for the top layer cake and allow to cool completely.

To make the cream cheese frosting, place the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.

To assemble the cake, spread frosting evenly over the bottom layer cake on the serving platter. Place top layer cake on top. Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition: 420 calories, 19.5g fat, 1.7g fiber, 4.4g protein per serving
Cost: $0.80 per serving

Guess what I have for you today? Yep, a muffin recipe, which I’ll get to in a second, but also a giveaway for a super cute apron like the one I’m wearing above! I was recently contacted by a rep from Shabby Apple, an online shop best known for their lovely vintage dresses, about reviewing one of their adorable aprons. I jumped at the chance, since a girl can never have too many wardrobe options, and eventually settled on the carrot cake style. I couldn’t be more pleased – it’s super flattering and a gorgeous vibrant pattern. They’re the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen. To enter to win your choice of one of their aprons, see the details at the bottom of this post!

Now, on to the muffins. I couldn’t stop thinking about the flavor combo of orange peel and coriander, which we recently learned is used to spice Allagash White during our brewery tour. I finally decided to mix the two into a yummy batch of muffins, along with white whole wheat flour, oat bran from Trader Joe’s, orange juice, and a bit of oil and molasses. I sweetened the batter with brown sugar and golden raisins and sprinkled a few salted sunflower seeds on top for a bit of crunch. I kind of love that a beer inspired a fairly healthy muffin recipe!

Giveaway details: To enter, just leave a comment on this post letting me know which Shabby Apple apron you’d pick if you win. Entries must be in by Thursday, July 7 at 11:59pm EST and the winner will be picked with random.org and announced shortly thereafter. Sorry, only those living within the continental United States are eligible to win. But, all my readers can use the coupon code “CakeBatterandBowl10off” at checkout until July 30 to receive 10% off your purchase! Also, if you “like” Shabby Apple on their facebook page, you’ll get access to future special promotions and exclusive discounts.

The fine print: Shabby Apple sent me a complimentary apron to review and they are providing an apron for this giveaway, but I received no compensation for this post and all opinions are mine.

Orange Coriander Oat Bran Muffins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup oat bran
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 large egg
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons salted sunflower seeds

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Place oat bran, flour, brown sugar, orange zest, coriander, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and mix until combined. Place orange juice, canola oil, molasses, and egg in another bowl and whisk well. Pour liquids into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Stir in raisins. Evenly distribute batter into 12 cups of a muffin tin lined with paper cups (each will be 3/4 full). Top evenly with oats and sunflower seeds. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes at 350˚F or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

Nutrition: 174 calories, 6.3g fat, 2.3g fiber, 3.3g protein per muffin
Cost: $0.41 per muffin

There are a fair number of cooking techniques that I have yet to master, and one that I’m particularly interesting in conquering is how to make the perfect omelet. I feel like it’s always mentioned on Top Chef how cooking eggs is a measure of a chef’s skills and well, my omelet making ability is decent, but I’m glad no one is judging my prowess in the kitchen by how they turn out! Half the time the top of my omelet rips when I attempt to fold it over and the other half of the time I make a mess when I’m coaxing it out of the pan and onto my plate. Any tips?

I actually attempt to whip up omelets pretty regularly and this is an exceptionally tasty version inspired by some leftover caramelized pineapple chunks. They were screaming Hawaii to me, so I went with it, and folded the pineapple into my omelet, along with bacon and gruyere. It’s pretty decent looking, huh? Well, that’s because I covered the rip on the top with some toasted coconut! Haha, it went with my theme and covered my mistake!

Hawaiian Omelet
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup caramelized pineapple chunks
1/3 cup shredded gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons toasted coconut

Directions:
Place turkey bacon in a greased nonstick skillet and heat over medium for 5 to 7 minutes or until crispy. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, and salt in a small bowl. Pour whisked eggs into a well greased 10-inch nonstick omelet/sauté pan. Use a spatula to push the cooked part of the eggs from the outer edge to the center of pan, until mostly set, then pat semi-cooked eggs down until they cover the entire pan. Let cook an additional minute, as needed, or until set. Spread turkey bacon, pineapple, and gruyere evenly over one side of the eggs so half the circle is covered, then fold the other half circle of eggs on top. Heat an additional minute or until cheese is melted. To serve, sprinkle omelet with toasted coconut. Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition: 586 calories, 40.8g fat, 1.9g fiber, 41.1g protein per serving
Cost: $3.79 per serving

If you could only eat five different food items the rest of your life, what would they be? I used to mull this over regularly with one of my friends growing up – it just seemed like the worst situation ever and I was even a pretty picky eater then! I can’t remember all the items on my list, but I know pizza made the cut. It still does actually, I can definitely imagine eating it almost every day, just like sushi, which would also now be in my top five. For breakfast, I’d have to go with eggs and more specifically my very favorite morning item – breakfast sandwiches! They are so satisfying that I have them every weekend and some nights for dinner too.

You don’t really need a recipe for breakfast sandwiches, but I made a version I really enjoyed the other weekend and wanted to share. The title says it all in this case. I scrambled my eggs with turkey bacon, leeks, avocado, and brie, and piled the mixture high atop a few English muffins. Mmm, so good!

Breakfast Sandwiches with Leeks, Brie, and Avocado
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1/3 cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 1/2 ounces brie, chopped
2 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted

Directions:
Heat canola oil over medium heat in a medium nonstick skillet. Add turkey bacon to the skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and add leeks; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, and salt together in a small bowl. Place eggs in a small greased nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook until eggs are set, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Mix in cooked turkey bacon and leeks, avocado, and brie. Pile egg mixture evenly on bottom half of the muffins. Cover with top halves of muffins. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition: 453 calories, 25.7g fat, 6.2g fiber, 25.8g protein per serving
Cost: $1.68 per serving

My mom used to make breakfast for dinner every Thursday night when I was growing up and I always looked forward to it. Really, is there anything better than a big plate full of cheesy eggs, pancakes with melted butter and maple syrup, and fruit salad? I would love to continue this tradition with Apolinaras, but unfortunately, he isn’t a fan. I think it’s partly because he actually gets up early enough to make eggs every morning, while I prefer to savor every last minute of sleep and usually just have cereal. I end up getting my egg fix on weekends or nights when I’m on my own for dinner. It’s so easy to whip up a broccoli cheddar omelet with whole wheat toast and turkey bacon for one – yum!

I made a frittata the other weekend with a fajita twist. It contained chicken strips seasoned with cumin, ancho chile powder, and oregano, and plenty of browned onions, bell peppers, and cheddar cheese. I topped the frittata wedges with a fun guacamole starring sun dried tomatoes. Mmm, it was the perfect breakfast! So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw Apolinaras warm up a leftover piece up for dinner one night. I had to call him out on it – he was enjoying breakfast for dinner! He tried to convince me that this frittata wasn’t just for breakfast and should be enjoyed anytime, to which I just smiled and nodded – I will convert him yet!

Fajita Frittata
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Fajita Frittata:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized strips
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, cut into long strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into long strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into long strips
10 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Guacamole with Sun Dried Tomatoes:
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and mashed
Juice of half a lime
1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Mix cumin, ancho chile powder, oregano, and salt in a small bowl and rub spice mixture evenly onto chicken strips. Heat canola oil over medium heat in a 10-inch oven-proof nonstick skillet and sauté chicken for 5 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Put chicken in a bowl and add onion and bell peppers to the skillet. Saute 15 minutes or until veggies are tender and browned. Remove from heat and stir in chicken breast strips.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, and salt together in a large bowl until frothy. Stir in cheddar cheese and pour egg mixture into the pan over the other ingredients and bake at 350˚F for 30 to 35 minutes or until eggs are set.

Meanwhile, make guacamole by mixing mashed avocado, lime juice, sun dried tomatoes, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut frittata into wedges and top evenly with guacamole. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 339 calories, 22.4g fat, 3.4g fiber, 26.2g protein per serving
Cost: $1.47 per serving

Happy Valentine’s Day! I wanted to get this recipe up before the holiday, because the combo of Nutella and strawberries just seemed perfect for VDay, but didn’t quite make it. Oh well, treats like this should be enjoyed year round anyway, right? I always look forward to whipping up a big breakfast every weekend, and while I usually go the savory route (breakfast sandwiches are my favorite!), occasionally inspiration strikes for a sweet treat too.

Some good looking strawberries from Costco inspired these pancakes. Since I’ve noticed it’s sometimes hard to taste the Nutella in baked goods, I added Nutella to both the pancake batter and the warm strawberry topping. These were the perfect indulgent way to start the day!

Nutella Strawberry Pancakes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Pancakes:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Nutella
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nutella Strawberry Topping:
1 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Nutella

Directions:
To make the pancakes, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the egg, milk, Nutella, butter, and vanilla extract until just combined. Pour 1/4 cup scoops of batter onto a greased nonstick skillet over medium heat. Flip the pancakes when bubbles start to appear on top, after about 3 minutes. Cook the other side until golden brown. Makes 7 pancakes.

To make the Nutella strawberry topping, place chopped strawberries, sugar, and Nutella in a small pot and simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and Nutella is melted, about 2 minutes. Spoon warm topping over pancakes. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition: 797 calories, 34.5g fat, 11.7g fiber, 20.5g protein per serving
Cost: $2.25 per serving

My good friend Renee got me a gorgeous cookbook for Christmas called Sarabeth’s Bakery. Have you heard of it? It’s filled with recipes for sophisticated bakery treats and I spent an entire evening drooling over all the lovely step by step photos. It was actually this book that inspired my resolution this year to become a master at whipping up fancy breads and pastries.

I was originally planning on baking the croissants first, but spontaneously decided to make the challah bread this weekend instead, mainly because I was in the mood for some French toast! I don’t have much bread baking experience (although our class at King Arthur Flour was really helpful!), but the recipe in the book was really detailed and easy to follow and my challah turned out perfectly! I was so proud. This is my favorite shot because it looks just like the one in the book – yay!

The next day I turned most of the loaf into classic French toast, but of course I couldn’t resist coming up with a fun winter twist. I topped it with a compote of pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, clementine juice, and a touch of brown sugar. I also made a lovely clementine syrup. I really think one of my favorite parts of winter is that clementines are in season. They are one of my very favorite snacks and I probably average at least three a day! I think people usually boil the juice down with sugar to make a fruit syrup, but I was feeling lazy and only had a few clementines left, so instead I just stuck a bit of zest in some maple syrup and let is seep for awhile. Then I strained it out – success, the perfect clementine syrup!

French Toast with Pomegranate Cranberry Compote and Clementine Syrup
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Clementine Syrup:
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
Zest of 1 clementine (1 teaspoon)

Pomegranate Cranberry Compote:
1 1/2 cups fresh pomegranate arils (from 1 large pomegranate)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Juice of 2 clementines (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

French Toast:
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 slices challah bread (I used 14 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
To make the syrup, mix syrup and clementine zest in a small bowl. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, then strain the syrup to remove the zest.

To make the compote, mix pomegranate arils, cranberries, clementine juice, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is gone.

To make the French toast, whisk milk and eggs together in a shallow dish and dip the bread slices in the egg mixture, two to three pieces at a time. Allow to soak for a few minutes, then heat ½ tablespoon butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Place soaked bread in the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining bread and butter. Spoon compote over French toast and drizzle with clementine maple syrup. Makes 5 servings.

Nutrition: 478 calories, 11.2g fat, 3.0g fiber, 13.6g protein per serving
Cost: $1.57 per serving

We’ve been all about beer lately. Apolinaras has recently gotten into home brewing and just proudly sealed 40 bottles of Oak-Aged Baltic Porter last night. It’s supposed to age for at least a month before it’s really ready, but I snuck a couple sips of the green stuff and am already impressed – it was really good. It’s very cute to see him be as passionate as me in the kitchen!

Having beer on the brain, I decided it would be fun to try making some pumpkin bread that featured both pumpkin puree and pumpkin beer, along with some pumpkin butter from Trader Joe’s. This pumpkin triple threat is definitely more savory than traditional pumpkin bread, but the golden raisins bring it all together with a slight touch of sweetness. The best part is that I only used a cup of beer in the recipe and got to enjoy the rest of the bottle while I was mixing the loaf up. I’m hoping next time I’ll be able to use one of Apolinaras’ brews in the recipe instead!

Pumpkin Beer Bread
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup pumpkin beer
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup golden raisins

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Place pumpkin puree in a small nonstick pan and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until reduced to 1 cup. Cool completely.

Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan. Mix cooled pumpkin puree, butter, pumpkin butter, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl until well mixed. Stir in pumpkin beer. Mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; stir in golden raisins. Spread dough into prepared pan and bake at 350˚F for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 229 calories, 4.5g fat, 5.0g fiber, 4.9g protein per serving
Cost: $0.39 per serving

Happy Halloween! After dressing up as Jem, my favorite 80s TV character for the past several years, I decided to fast forward to the 90s this year and go as Angela Chase from My So-Called Life, which is seriously one of the best shows ever! I was a little nervous no one would get my costume, but all the girls immediately squealed in recognition after I directed them to read my shirt. My mom found the skirt in my closet at home and mailed it to me, so I was able to rock some plaid that I actually wore in high school, how fun is that? Too bad she didn’t keep my Doc Martens!

Apolinaras even got into the act this year and dressed up as an internet troll (troll ears, green wig, and a shirt that said “Your blog sucks” – haha). And Shannon was a naked chef – so fun!

I’d like to think Angela’s dad, Graham, would have whipped up these scones during the culinary class he ended up teaching (yes, I remember these things!). They’ve got a lovely light texture and I really enjoyed the contrast of the sweet apple and savory brie.

And as promised, here’s a picture of my lab as the cast of Glee – I was Mr. Shu! Hope everyone had an awesome Halloween!

Apple Brie Scones
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
4 ounces brie, chopped into small chunks

Directions:
Heat oven to 375˚F. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Use a pastry cutter or fork to work butter into the flour until a coarse meal forms. Mix in cream, egg, and vanilla extract until soft dough forms. Knead in apple and brie chunks.

Place dough onto a greased pizza pan and form into an 8-inch circle. Cut the circle into eight wedges and separate the scones on the cookie sheet so they are each at least 1 inch apart. Bake at 375˚F for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve. Makes 8 scones.

Nutrition: 338 calories, 19.1g fat, 1.6g fiber, 7.4g fat per scone
Cost: $0.51 per scone

Crisp air, gorgeous boots, warm layers, acorn and butternut squash, pumpkin spice lattes, and pumpkin beer all mean one thing – autumn is here! Fall has always been my favorite season for the aforementioned reasons and the fact that my birthday is in September and I always loved heading back to school when I was younger. This year I was especially ready for the season change because it’s so much easier jogging outside in cool weather! In fact, I ran the Somerville Homeless Coalition 5K with my friends Allison and Libby from lab this morning (it was their very first 5K and they rocked it – yay!) and I’m sure the cooler temperature contributed to my PR of 26:00, which is 8:23 per mile! We had such a great time and are hoping to make this an annual lab tradition and convince more people to run next year.

Apple picking is also a fun fall New England tradition and although we haven’t gone quite yet, I recently whipped up these yummy muffins to celebrate the season change. I mixed shredded apples in a yummy sour cream batter with a healthy dose of cinnamon, cardamom, and toasted pecans, and then sprinkled a lovely almond crumble on top. I can’t wait to go apple picking and make these again!

Apple Cardamom Crumble Muffins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Crumble Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Muffins:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 apples, peeled, cored, and shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Line 20 cups of two muffin pans with liners.

To make the crumble topping, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, almond meal, and flour in a small bowl.

To make the muffins, mix the flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until creamed; mix in the sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and shredded apples. Slowly mix in the flour mixture and pecans.

Scoop muffin batter evenly into the 20 prepared muffin cups. Top muffins evenly with the crumble topping. Bake at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Makes 20 muffins.

Nutrition: 224 calories, 14.5g fat, 1.4g fiber, 3.0g protein per muffin
Cost: $0.56 per muffin

Apolinaras and I spontaneously headed to the grocery store a few weeks ago around 11pm to satisfy my sweet tooth, which is really rare for us. I usually just have a few chocolate chips if there are no treats in the house and I’m craving dessert, but that just didn’t do the trick this time because I really wanted to sink my spoon into some Ben and Jerry’s Chubby Hubby ice cream! The outing reminded me of when my girlfriends and I used to stock up on goodies in the middle of the night to fuel our study sessions in college. But unlike my junk food filled college days, I was immediately excited when I noticed that blueberries were buy one pint get two free – yay! I scooped up three containers and began happily brainstorming about how to use them. And when I saw our huge tub of strawberries from Costco sitting in the fridge when we got home, I decided to combine the two types of berries to make a purple very berry muffin!

Ok, you can see they turned out a little more brown than purple, but they definitely delivered on the berry flavor because I packed 5 cups of berries into 12 muffins! I blended 3 cups of berries into a puree that went into the muffins after being reduced to half a cup of liquid on the stove and then I folded the remaining 2 cups right into the batter. The muffins disappeared quickly and were pretty healthy too.

p.s. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win 4 bottles of Girard’s salad dressing!

Berry Muffins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups strawberries, hulled
2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cups. Place 2 cups strawberries and 1 cup blueberries in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place berry puree in a small nonstick pan and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Mix cooled puree, sugar, oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Coarsely chop remaining 1 cup strawberries and fold chopped strawberries and remaining 1 cup blueberries into the muffin batter.

Scoop muffin batter evenly into the 12 prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350˚F for 24 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

Nutrition: 169 calories, 5.3g fat, 1.9g fiber, 2.4g protein per muffin
Cost: $0.57 per muffin

I’ve gotten into the habit of buying one pound logs of goat cheese from Costco and since goat cheese goes bad faster than other varieties, I’m always trying to quickly use it in several different ways after opening the package – there’s nothing worse than wasting goat cheese! So after enjoying it in my Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Potato Stacks, I decided to finally use some in a breakfast dish inspired by the frittata I had with Meghan at Yolk during our visit to Chicago last November!

The frittata at Yolk features “chicken breast, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and red diced potatoes all scrambled together and baked. Topped with goat cheese.” Mmm, I love all these ingredients and didn’t want to change a thing, so I put the potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and chicken all in a frittata, along with red pepper and shallots, and then topped the frittata with goat cheese and fresh basil when it came out of the oven. There’s nothing better than breakfast for dinner and it reheated beautifully for lunch the next day too.

Tuscan Frittata
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 red potatoes, chopped into chunks
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cooked boneless, skinless, chicken breast, sliced into strips
1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
10 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces goat cheese
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet and sauté potatoes for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shallots and red pepper to the skillet and sauté 5 additional minutes or until veggies are tender (the potatoes will continue to cook in the oven so it’s ok if they are slightly underdone at this point). Remove from heat and stir in chicken breast strips and sun dried tomatoes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour egg mixture into the pan over the other ingredients and bake at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or until eggs are set. Evenly sprinkle goat cheese on top and return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until goat cheese is warmed through. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 398 calories, 20.7g fat, 2.8g fiber, 28.8g protein per serving
Cost: $1.43 per serving

It’s finally time for our Lithuania trip recap! We traveled throughout the country and I’m going to spread the highlights of our adventure over the next three posts. Lithuania is the same size as West Virginia and sits above Poland and Belarus and across the Baltic Sea from Sweden. We flew into Vilnius, which is the capital and largest city in the country. Apolinaras was born and raised in Vilnius so I was very excited to finally see where he grew up! His mom met us at the airport and we headed over to his condo, where she had stocked the fridge with all his favorite Lithuanian goodies that just aren’t the same in the states (e.g. pickled herring, pickles, kefir). Apolinaras looked like a little boy opening his Christmas presents as he went through the fridge – it was just about the cutest thing ever and so sweet of his mom.

For the next couple of days we explored the city and visited many of Apolinaras’ friends and family members. I absolutely loved Vilnius. Like many European cities, the juxtaposition of gorgeous cathedrals and old winding streets filled with quaint rows of shops and apartments made me swoon. I also loved all the green space. There are parks throughout the city and Apolinaras’ condo is right next to a large national forest.

We climbed up the tower of a fort in the middle of the city to take in impressive views and also visited several churches where Apolinaras played the pipe organ when he was younger. This particular church is where people like to meet each other in the city center and we kept the tradition alive by meeting a few of Apolinaras’ friends there.

One of the highlights was going to a folk art festival with traditional Lithuanian music, art, and food. We leisurely browsed all stalls and picked up some wooden treasures including hand carved wall decorations for our kitchen and an adorable cutting board shaped like a pig.

Lithuanian artisans are also known for their linens, amber, and ceramics, so I got several gorgeous amber necklaces and linen pouches to store them in.

As you can probably guess, I was especially excited to try all the traditional Lithuanian culinary specialities. Most Lithuanian dishes are centered around the bounty of the farmland and dairy industry and contain sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, eggs, cottage cheese, and butter. They also have the best dark rye breads and amazing beer!

The zeppelins really stole the show for me – they are huge potato dumplings (the size of a regular potato!) stuffed with either sausage or cottage cheese and topped with bacon or mushrooms in a cream sauce – talk about the ultimate comfort food! And yes, they do eat a few veggies too, the most popular of which are beets, cucumbers, and cabbage. Oh, and between the 2000 lakes and Baltic Sea, fish is also on many menus and it’s often smoked or pickled.

Apolinaras’ mom made us several delicious traditional Lithuanian dishes during our stay including crepes stuffed with cottage cheese and topped with jam, potato dumpling soup, and fried potato pancakes, but my favorite meal was this lovely baked cottage cheese tart that also contained rice, eggs, and raisins. We ate it for dinner, but many people also eat it for breakfast and I knew I wanted to recreate something similar once we returned home. I mixed fresh blueberries and lemon zest into my version and enjoyed a big slice for breakfast last weekend. Next up are our visits to the countryside and resort towns by the Baltic Sea!

Blueberry Cottage Cheese Squares
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups 2% cottage cheese
2 cups cooked brown rice, at room temperature
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon, finely chopped
1 pint fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Mix cottage cheese, brown rice, eggs, sugar, and lemon zest thoroughly in a large bowl until well combined. Gently fold in blueberries and pour mixture into a greased 8×8-inch square pan.  Bake at 350˚F for 45 to 50 minutes or until tart is set. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 318 calories, 4.4g fat, 3.7g fiber, 19.8g protein per serving
Cost: $1.20 per serving

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother’s Day celebration! My parents have made it a tradition to visit us in Boston over the holiday and this year the highlights were visiting Castle Island, attending a cookbook signing with my mom (more on this in a future post!), and heading out for a couple of jogs with my dad, who has done several half marathons and is an amazing and inspirational runner. We jogged around the Charles River and Boston Common on Friday and then did a 5K race on Sunday morning that benefited the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. My dad was nice and slowed down his usual pace so he could run alongside me both days, which was really fun. I never know how fast I’m running outside (although a smartphone with RunKeeper is on my current wish list), so I was completely shocked that my official 5K time was 27:19, which is an 8:49 minute per mile pace! I crushed my first 5K time by almost 5 minutes and I thought this course was more difficult than the first one because there were a couple of hard hills. I recently started training for my first triathlon, which I’ll be doing in August with Shannon, and I’m excited that all my extra time at the gym is already paying off!

Anyway, in honor of Mother’s Day I wanted to come up with a recipe for my mom. I’ve mentioned before that she loves pancakes and I was recently inspired to make a version inspired by Banana Boats, my favorite Girl Scout campfire treat, when I smelled a bonfire during a recent bike ride. Does anyone else remember these? You split a banana open and stuff it with chocolate and marshmallows and then wrap it in tinfoil and put it on the fire until all the components are warm and gooey – yum! So for these pancakes I put chocolate chips and mini marshmallows in the batter and then topped the pancakes with banana slices. They are delicious with syrup or a peanut butter drizzle!

Banana Boat Pancakes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 banana, sliced
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the egg, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla extract until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.

Pour 1/4 cup scoops of batter onto a greased nonstick skillet over medium heat. Flip the pancakes when bubbles start to appear on top, after about 3 minutes. Cook the other side until golden brown. Makes 9 pancakes.

Top pancakes with banana slices. Mix peanut butter and milk in a small bowl until smooth and drizzle over pancakes. Makes 3 servings.

Nutrition: 593 calories, 24.8g fat, 4.3g fiber, 14.3g protein per serving
Cost: $1.67 per serving

Cinco de Mayo is almost here! I’m planning on making a recipe from my new Rick Bayless cookbook on Wednesday, but couldn’t resist starting the celebration early by whipping up these tasty breakfast tostadas this weekend. I will always have a fond spot in my heart for Cinco de Mayo due to Wheel of Fortune. I know you’re thinking, huh, what’s the connection there? Well, a couple years ago while we were still in Chicago, I auditioned for the show when the Wheelmobile came to town. Thousands of people showed up and they packed about 500 of us at a time into a theater in Joliet. About 20 people were randomly called up to the stage in each group, and if your name wasn’t picked, you could wait in line all over again for another chance. It must have been my lucky day because I was immediately called up to the stage and solved the puzzle, which was “Cinco de Mayo!” I was rewarded with a tshirt and a spot in a call-back audition. I aced the written puzzle test, but unfortunately didn’t get picked for the show, which I attributed to the fact that I would have towered over Pat Sajak. It was a cool experience though and the term “Cinco de Mayo” now always makes me smile.

Anyway, for the breakfast tostadas I crisped up some whole wheat tortillas under the broiler and covered them with scrambled eggs. Then I made a chunky salsa of sorts from black beans, corn, roasted red peppers, avocado, and lime juice, to top the eggs. I covered the tostadas with cheese and popped them back in the broiler until the cheese melted – yum! You can also drizzle a bit of salsa on top if you have it around. They were very filling and I had a whole one for dinner one night, but half a serving definitely filled me up for breakfast. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Breakfast Tostadas
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat tortillas
16 large eggs
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked corn
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa, if desired

Directions:
Heat broiler. Place tortillas on several cookie sheets and broil on each side for 1 to 2 minutes or until toasted.

Place eggs in a large greased nonstick skillet and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked, stirring frequently. Top crispy tortillas evenly with scrambled eggs.

Meanwhile, mix black beans, corn, roasted red peppers, avocados, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl. Spoon 3/4 cup of mixture evenly over eggs on each tortilla and top with cheddar cheese. Return tostadas to the oven and broil for one minute or until cheese is melted. Top with salsa, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 773 calories, 40.1g fat, 16.2g fiber, 46.1g protein per serving
Cost: $2.38 per serving